The value of marine biodiversity by removing abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG)

Coralligenous habitats are important ‘hot spot’ of species diversity in the Mediterranean and grant a variety of valuable ecosystem services. Currently, these areas are under threats due to human activities such as unsustainable and destructive fishing practices, environmental phenomena and other important pressures related to global environmental changes. The coralligenous habitats of the Northern Adriatic, also locally known as tegnùe, are endangered by the frequent practice of Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gears (ALDFG) at sea; the impacts of which on marine habitats and coralligenous areas well documented. The aim of this paper is to investigate the economic value of restoration strategies promoted to safeguarding and improving biodiversity in these coralligenous habitats through Contingent Valuation survey administered to a sample of 4000 Italians. The households’ WTP for biodiversity restoration and conservation ranges between €10.30 and €64.02 depending on the assumptions underlying the different models.